Elvis Presley and "THE BOOK OF MORMON"

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space:

I just now visited the web site of "MERIDIAN", a magazine for members of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints (i.e., the so-called "Mormon" church).

They have a very interesting report, including video from KTVX-TV Channel 4, in Salt Lake City, Utah, about Elvis Presley meeting full-time LDS missionaries and being given a copy of "THE BOOK OF MORMON".

Here is the magazine article:

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RIVERTON MAN GAVE ELVIS A BOOK OF MORMON DURING FILMING OF "BLUE HAWAII"


Story by: Susan Wood
susan@abc4.com


An interesting connection is surfacing about Elvis Presley's interest in the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints.

Several people claim to have given him a copy of the "BOOK OF MORMON".

One was Riverton's Mike Corfield, who was serving a Latter-day Saint mission on the Island of Kauai in Nineteen Sixty-One.

That's when Elvis was there filming the movie, "BLUE HAWAII".

The twenty year old missionary and his companion went to find Elvis on location.

Among the crew was another member of the LDS Church who recognized the missionaries.

He invited them to meet Elvis.

After talking for about five minutes, Elder Corfield gave Elvis a copy of the "BOOK OF MORMON".

Corfield says, "We also invited him to come to church with us that Sunday.

He declined, saying he had to work.

But he was really nice and accepted the 'BOOK OF MORMON'."

As Elvis fans know, he had a strong spiritual side.

Utah filmmakers are working on a movie right now depicting his interest in the "BOOK OF MORMON".

They feature a copy of the book held in the LDS Church archives.

It reportedly has Elvis' notes in the margins of the copy.

The movie, "TEARS OF A KING", is expected to be released next year.

Corfield doesn't know whether this is the copy he gave Elvis back in Nineteen Sixty-One, but he's proud to have given him the book.

He says, "I felt he was interested in it.

I felt at some time, he'd take the opportunity to learn more about the gospel, especially the 'BOOK OF MORMON'."

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The most significant part of that news report, for me, was evidence that Elvis Presley actually STUDIED the "BOOK OF MORMON", as indicated by the notes he wrote in the margins.

Gosh, gee whillikers, in Nineteen Sixty-One, I was living in El Paso, Texas, and a freshman at Stephen F. Austin High School.

Mama gave me piano lessons at home, but she ordered me to quit.

I loved to experiment with imitating or creating Rock 'n' Roll sounds, but every time I finished playing, Mama and Daddy had to call someone to tune the piano.

That was costing too much money.

When my piano lessons stopped, that also ended my lessons in reading music.

So, I had to teach myself, writing lyrics and memorizing all melodies, which I perform "by ear", only now, I prefer my guitar for everything.

Obviously, if you can't read music, then everything you compose and everything you learn has to stored in your head, right?

Anyway, we'll definitely have to look forward to this new movie, "TEARS OF A KING".

Thank you.

John Robert "SAIGON" Mallernee, KB3KWS
Official Bard of Clan Henderson
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."